Posts Tagged ‘Team USA’

Team USA takes their show to China for their 2nd of 5 pre Olympic exhibition games, this one against Turkey (photo from Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE, found here)

And we’re here. Good morning to all. This will be a mostly live blog of Team USA’s first pre Olympic tune-up game being played in China. Now, to the action:

A little internet delay, so here’s your recap of the first few minutes. ‘Bron’s back (starting in place of Wade), and he looks focused. Hedo Turkoglu won’t be playing today. USA looks solid coming out. LeBron drives to the cup, Melo splashes a J, Howard turns the ball over. About right.

Turkey has a couple of recognizable players. International basketball really is making a huge impact on the NBA.

Bron hits a three, Melo hits his second from nearly the same spot as the first.

Turkey is wearing soccer length jersey tops, and half of their players have them untucked. I don’t think I approve of that very much; it just looks sloppy.

Jason Kidd continues his inexplicable high shooting percentage from last year’s FIBA tournament as he hits a top of the key three.

Team USA then promptly gives up an alley-oop lay up on D as Turkey beats them down the court.

Chris Bosh hits a very Bosh-esque lay up (awkward looking, body turned in a weird angle) off of a feed from Kobe, putting the score at 20-15 US.

LeBron drops a gorgeous dime to Bosh for a quick two.

Turkey quickly misses a three, US goes the other way but botches a Kobe to James oop that would have blown up the arena, and Turkey comes back with a quick lay-up.

Dywane Wade, checked into the game for 5 seconds, uses his international play go-to move: the charge. And it’s good! Turkey ball.(more…)

So I’ve got a little input about the cornily dubbed Redeem Team’s performance versus Canada that took place last night, but until I’ve got time to properly evaluate the situation, enjoy two YouTube clips to tide you over.

The first is a video I saw on Dime Mag’s website, quietly one of my favorite basketball websites. If you don’t know about Ricky Rubio yet, a) you’ve been hiding, but b) you will once the Olympics start. Kid’s only 17.

The second is a metaphor for how Canada’s Carl English felt last night when Kobe stole his cookies, milk, snack pack, soft lunch box with the blue ice pack inside and shoulder strap, AND his membership from whatever hair salon he goes to before coasting in for an unimpressive dunk. Found at a site called FAIL blog (nod to my roomie Andy who is under the knife to repair his shattered wrist as we speak).